Whale Sightings 07/19/23 to 07/25/23. Please find the Naturalist Notes for the week of 07/19/23 to 07/25/23 from the onboard team of naturalists for our New England Whale Watching tour in partnership with the New England Aquarium.
07-19-23
9am Whale Watch Sightings
नमस्कार
Aboard the Cetacea, we journeyed out to the Southwest Corner of Stellwagen Bank. We were greeted by the blows of a trio of humpback whales that included Bolide, Woodwind, and Sprinkles. These three whales were up at the surface, and it appeared they were resting for a few minutes at the beginning of our trip. As we approached them, they dove down and started to feed! Their behavior shifted to taking short dives, spending ample time at the surface, and trumpet blowing before diving down again. While we watched this trio, another single humpback whale popped up around us. It was a whale named Spell. Throughout our trip, Spell continuously surfaced around us and temporarily joined the trio for a few minutes! We also got a few quick glances at a minke whale as it surfaced in the area. Before we knew it, the Cetacea turned back to Boston and we returned grateful for an incredible day on the water.
अगली बार तक
Eman and Jane
सुबह 11 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
WOW WHAT A DAY!
The 11am whale watch headed on the Asteria towards the Southwest Corner of Stellwagen Bank. We approached our destination with incredibly glassy and smooth seas and were treated to around 15 humpback whales! In a change from previous days – our associations were in slightly different groupings: Mend, Milkweed, and Flock; Spell, Chairlift, Cajun, and Cajun 2023 Calf; and of course, the ever-reliable Pele, Eruption, Jabiru. Throughout the trip, the solo whale Chunk kept trying to join different groups – before seemingly being kicked out and trying the next. We also had a quick sighting of Ravine and her 2023 calf! Throughout our trip we were treated to several random breaches from the adults and calves – but the absolute highlight of our trip was the QUADRUPLE BREACH off our bow! Spell, Chairlift, Cajun, Cajun 2023 launched into the air in almost perfect unison – before continuing a series of small breaches and chin breaches. In my 3 years as a naturalist, I have never seen a quadruple breach and was loudly yelling over the microphone – it was so cool!!!!! If you look at the breaching photos of the two adults, you’ll notice Chairlift on the left and the much larger Cajun on the right – we have always known Cajun is a bigger female – but just look at that size difference!
What an amazing day!
Kate and Lily
दोपहर 12 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
Hello there!
The Aurora made its way towards the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank on the 12pm whale watch. What a busy day on the water! We began with humpback whales Flock, Milkweed, and Mend. Two of these three whales then surprised us with not one but two double breaches! It’s crazy to think of the coordination involved for two of these whales to simultaneously jump out of the water. A few other boats came into the area to watch this trio—likely due to their surface activity— so we left the area to not overcrowd the whales. We then made our way to two other whales close by: Ravine and her 2023 calf. This pair was swimming towards the trio we left behind, so we got one quick look at Ravine and calf. We made a brief turn towards the north before heading back to Boston where we spent a few moments with Eruption, Jabiru, and Pele. Intern Emily did a wonderful job keeping track of all of the whale activity in the area. We estimated up to 17 humpback whales on the southwest corner today!
अगली बार तक
Meg and Emily
07-20-23
9am Whale Watch Sightings
Good afternoon
With beautiful visibility, the 9am whale watch headed out on the Cetacea towards the middle of Stellwagen Bank. After traveling a little north, we encountered a handful of blows! We spotted Diablo, Dyad, and Mogul feeding independently – with a few more blows in the distance! These whales were clearly feeding, distinguished by the multitude of bubble clouds surrounding our vessel. We saw both Diablo and Mogul blow large clouds (evidence by patches of frothy green bubbles) then surface forcefully in the middle of the cloud. Diablo even turned on her side as she fed – and we saw her flipper pop out of the water as she swam in a circle. After plenty of beautiful fluking dives, we headed back to Boston!
Kate and Indi
सुबह 10 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
सभी को नमस्कार,
Today aboard the Sanctuary, the 10am whale watch made its way out towards Stellwagen Bank in search of whales and other marine life. We came across several blows when we arrived to Stellwagen. We started on a solo humpback named Diablo who was blowing bubbles, and she was taking short dives. She was spending a good amount of time at the surface, so we were able to get some great looks at her! She was mainly taking nonfluking dives, but right before we were about to head to other whales in the area, she gave a very high beautiful fluking dive! We then moved on to Dyad the humpback who was moving and grooving. She was taking short dives, and she was traveling a lot at the surface, so we were able to get some great looks at her. She gave us several beautiful fluking dives before we had to head back to Boston. It was a great first trip!
कॉलिन और एमिली
सुबह 11 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
नमस्कार
Aboard the Asteria, the 11am whale watch departed Boston for Stellwagen Bank. After days of hazy conditions, we were happy to find the visibility was exceptional on our trip! We could see the Boston skyline clearly all the way from Stellwagen Bank. As we neared the Bank, we caught sight of numerous blows from both fin and humpback whales. Our day was spent with one particular Humpback whale – Mogul. Mogul was taking short dives and blowing bubble clouds as he surfaced! Between his bouts of feeding, he was traveling at the surface which gave us some absolutely beautiful views of him. About halfway through our trip, Mogul shocked us with a particularly close encounter. He blew a bubble net off our starboard bow, lunged between our pulpits, and dove off of our portside. During this time, we got exceptional views as we watched Mogul lunge and push the water out of his mouth while he fed! It was an incredible experience! After some bonus looks of whales in the distance, we slowly made our way back to Boston!
अगली बार तक
Eman and Josiah
दोपहर 12 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
गुड आफ्टरनून व्हेल के शौकीन!
The Aurora ventured out to the middle of Stellwagen bank in search of cetaceans. We found 4-6 humpback whales spread around the area! We spent most of our trip with Dyad, who was busy bubble cloud feeding! At one time she blew a bubble cloud right off the right pulpit and surfaced within it! We got some brief looks at Mogul who was also blowing bubble clouds, and we wrapped up our trip with Diablo who seemed to be resting at the surface. She surprised us when at her next surfacing she came up upside down with her pleats expanded! We made our way home as Diablo and Mogul bubble fed behind us.
Overall, a great day for whale watching!
Sydney and Anjali
07-21-23
9am Whale Watch Sightings
सभी को नमस्कार,
Today aboard the Cetacea, the 9am whale watch made its way towards the northern part of Stellwagen Bank in search of whales and other marine life. The fog bank eventually lifted, and we were able to spot several humpbacks in the area. We started on a humpback named Diablo who surfaced not far from us! We then got several close approaches from 3 single humpback whales including Diablo, Dyad, and Mogul. These whales popped up next to our boat several times! We spent most of our time with a mom and calf pair consisting of Dross and Dross 23 Calf. Dross was blowing bubble clouds, and she was consistently lunging up through them! The calf was close in tow mainly watching mom’s every move. Eventually the calf got very curious of our boat, and it came over to check us out! Not long after mom lunged right off our bow! The calf then proceeded to roll over mom’s head while she was filtering, a very adorable sight to see. After a beautiful fluking dive from mom, we started heading back towards Boston. It was a spectacular day on Stellwagen Bank!
उछाल देता है,
Colin and Josiah
सुबह 10 बजे और दोपहर 2:30 बजे व्हेल वॉच साइटिंग्स
Good evening whale watchers,
Aboard the Sanctuary on the 10am trip, we traveled out through foggy conditions in search of some cetaceans. It wasn’t long before we found ourselves in the presence of two familiar humpback whales – Dross and her 2023 calf! Just as we arrived, Dross erupted through a patch of green bubbles in a beautiful lunge! This was just the beginning of our adventures with these two whales. The whole time we were there, Dross was swimming around, blowing bubble clouds, and lunging through each one. She stayed up at the surface after each bout of feeding, slowly traveling and exhaling often, before diving back down. While Dross fed, her lovely calf also captured our attention. Dross’ calf stayed close by our boat, exhaling consistently with minimal movement – indicators that it was down for an afternoon nap! The calf remained asleep the entire trip, except for a few minutes where to awoke to breach before returning to its slumber. Time evaded us quickly and, before we knew it, we left a feeding Dross and her sleeping calf as we made our way back to Boston!
On the 2:30pm whale watch trip, the Sanctuary returned to sea hopeful for more whales. Our journey was faced with rougher sea conditions, but we were thrilled to find two of my favorite humpback whales: Dross and her calf. The calf immediately captured our attention with tail breaching and lobtailing as we moved into the area! It was splashing quite a bit while we searched for its mother. With very little warning, Dross suddenly began tail lobbing half a mile away! We watched, enamored, as the two were synchronized in their splashy behavior. Soon after, both whales dove, and Dross disappeared for a short while to feed. The calf stayed near us, coming close to our boat to check us out. We even got to witness the calf spyhop right between the pulpits of our boat! In addition to the calf, we also were greeted by a very small harbor seal who was swimming circles around our boat! After some time apart, the calf joined with its mother. We watched the pair swim into the distance before we slowly made our way back to Boston.
It was a beautiful day on Stellwagen Bank!
Eman
सुबह 11 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
गुड आफ्टरनून व्हेल के शौकीन!
The Asteria headed out towards the Southwest corner of Stellwagen bank excited to search for cetaceans. We quickly encountered a thick bank of fog, which added an extra challenge to our search. We did not let this deter us and eventually we were greeted with a Splash on the fog line! We found Cajun, 3.14, Spell, and Cajun 23 Calf in the dense fog. The adults were clearly busy feeding evidenced by fresh scuff marks on Cajuns face, and their movements through the area. Cajun’s calf however was busy putting on the full display of surface activity! The calf breached over 20 times throughout our trip, several times were right off the pulpits of the vessel. I even saw that the calf breached with its eyes wide open on several occasions, maybe indicating that the calf was just as curious about us as we were of it! One of the adults even breached at one point! Throughout our trip the visibility began to increase allowing us even better looks at this bouncy baby! We continued to watch this baby breach repeatedly before we had to reluctantly make our way back to Boston more then satisfied with our incredible trip.
Overall a fantastic day for whale watching!
दोपहर 12 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
नमस्कार!
The 11am whale watch headed out on the Aurora towards the southern section of Stellwagen Bank! Although we approached the area with patchy fog, we spotted the blows of numerous groups! We first spent our time with the ever-reliable group Pele, Eruption, and Jabiru before slowly moving towards a very splashy whale… For the rest of our trip, we spent time with Spell, 3.14, Cajun, and her very adorable and bouncy 2023 calf. This calf seemed to spend more time out of the water than in it – and we were treated to tail breaches, lob tails, flipper-slapping, and full body breaches! As the adults busily fed, this calf gave us a spectacular show – breaching on all sides of the vessel. 3.14 even joined in the fun and breached right off our port side. The splashy calf seemed to draw the attention of other whales in the area, and we had the solo humpback Nile travel towards the calf – seemingly going to check out what all the commotion was!!!
क्या एक महान दिन!
Kate and Jane
07-22-23
9am and 1:30pm Whale Watch Sightings
नमस्कार
Passengers aboard the Cetacea were eager to head offshore in search of whales on the 9am whale watch. Once we made our way to the northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank, we estimated around 6 humpback whales in the area. To begin, we got quick looks at Scylla in passing. Most of our time was spent with Dross and her 2023 calf. Dross was busy feeding, blowing some seriously impressive bubble nets very close to our vessel! Dross’s calf on the other hand was much less active and actually logged at the surface for much of our trip. This calf was so still that a shearwater landed on it! After being woken up by the bird, we got a few more looks at the calf swimming along and then made our way back to Boston Harbor. As we made our turn, we got some bonus looks at a whale coming into the area, Mogul!
After a bit of searching, we found ourselves on the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank on the 1:30pm whale watch. Here we spent time with 6 different humpback whales in the area. The first group of three we spotted included Nile, Flock, and Milkweed. We also got some great looks at Mend, Bristle, and Chairlift! For the most part, all 6 of these whales were traveling randomly around the boat and periodically lifting their tails to go on deeper dives. Eventually, we had to leave the area and make our way back to Boston.
Another beautiful day spent on Stellwagen Bank!
Bye for now,
Meg and Josiah
सुबह 10 बजे और दोपहर 2:30 बजे व्हेल वॉच साइटिंग्स
शुभ संध्या व्हेल उत्साही!
The Asteria headed to the South on smooth seas for the 10am whale watch and quickly found several blows! We estimated 15-18 humpback whales in the area! We spent most of our trip with Pele, Eruption and Jabiru who were travelling quickly around the area. Eventually they joined up with Cajun, 3.14, Spell, and Cajun 23 Calf to form a massive group of 7! There were many recreational vessels in the area, so in an effort to not overcrowd these whales we made our way to some blows in the distance. We were excited to find Mend, Chairlift and Bristle, when Mend suddenly began flipper slapping! Just as quickly as it began, this behavior stopped. The next time we saw them surface, Mend was nowhere to be found, so maybe this flipper slapping was her way of saying goodbye to her companions. We got some final looks at Chairlift and Bristle before continuing our journey home to Boston, excited to return in the afternoon.
The Asteria started our sightings North of our morning trip, and we were excited to see the tagging team in action! We got some looks at Nile, Milkweed, and Flock while the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary team worked on tagging another trio of humpbacks in the area. It was so cool to see this research in action! We decided to head south again and found an area with 10 blows. We spent most of our trip with Cajun, 3.14, Spell and Cajun 23 Calf. We also spotted Bolide, Sprinkles, and Woodwind here too! Sprinkles was sporting a new tag, and one of these whales pooped at the surface several times, indicating that these whales were likely busy feeding. We also saw Jabiru, Pele, and Eruption who were charging West. We were treated to several close approaches, with both of the groups diving under our boat, and at one-point Sprinkles, Bolide and Woodwind surfaced right off our bow! We got some last looks at these whales before heading back to Boston, more then satisfied with our sightings for the day!
Overall, a great day for whale watching!
Sydney, Jane, and Anjali
सुबह 11 बजे और दोपहर 3:30 बजे व्हेल वॉच साइटिंग्स
सभी को नमस्कार,
Today aboard the Sanctuary, the 11am whale watch made its way towards Stellwagen Bank in search of whales and other marine life. We noticed several individual humpbacks scattered throughout the area. We started on a humpback named Mogul who gave us a great close approach of our boat! We then spent some quality time with Dross and her 2023 calf. Dross was doing her usual blow a bubble cloud and lunge through it which is always an awesome sight to see! Dross did this several times with her calf intently watching her every move. The calf even did a little lunge with mom! We then moved on to Scylla the humpback who was very, very hungry. Scylla lunged several times not far from the boat! After Scylla slowed down her feeding, we had to head back to Boston.
On the 330pm whale watch we decided to mix things up, so we ended up heading north to Jeffrey’s Ledge! We got some great views of the twin lighthouses on Thacher’s Island as we arrived in the area. We started our trip on Pinball and her 2023 calf. The calf was mainly resting while mom was darting around the area. Pinball gave us a beautiful close approach! We then got some great looks at Jawa the humpback who was spending a lot of time at the surface, and of course gave us several beautiful fluking dives. We finished our day with 4 humpbacks very close to our boat. These 4 consisted of Pinball, her 2023 calf, Satula, and Clamp! Clamp even popped up right off our bow! After some great looks at these 4, we had to make our way home. It was a really great day for whale watching!
अगली बार तक
कॉलिन और एमिली
दोपहर 12 बजे और शाम 5 बजे व्हेल वॉच साइटिंग्स
सुसंध्या
Aboard the Aurora on the 12pm whale watch, we travelled to the southern portion of Stellwagen Bank. We were greeted by the blows of six humpback whales that slowly split into two groups as we approached the area. In one group we had Nile, Milkweed, and Flock. In the other group, we had Chairlift, Mend, and Bristle. These two trios of whales were traveling randomly throughout the area and spending ample time at the surface! As we watched the whales, we caught a glimpse of a small fin sticking out of the water. It turned out to be a mola mola (an ocean sunfish)! This fish was floating around our boat for several minutes, giving passengers looks on every side of the boat! After some time with both species, we decided to take a short ride to see what else Stellwagen Bank had to offer. We soon found ourselves in the presence of blows in every direction and a breaching and head breaching calf! The calf’s energy slowed down as we approached, and we discovered it was Cajun’s 2023 calf. Our remaining time was spent with humpback whales Cajun and her calf, 3.14, and Spell. These whales were moving slowly around the area and resting at the surface between bouts of feeding. After a few moments, we noticed Spell exhibiting some interesting behavior. She split from the group and began thrashing against the surface of the water. As we approached her slowly, we realized she was entangled in monofilament fishing gear. We called the Center for Coastal Studies Disentanglement Team to a report the entanglement. This unfortunate incident prompted many conversations about sustainable seafood and how we can prevent entanglement in the whales we love. A great resource for learning about sustainable seafood is www.seafoodwatch.org. After some last looks of Cajun and her calf, we slowly returned back to Boston.
On the 5pm whale watch, the Aurora ventured out to Stellwagen Bank eager to find more whales. Our excitement was met by the blows of four humpback whales: Jabiru, Pele, Eruption, and Spell. Spell had been spotted on the 12pm trip with monofilament fishing gear wrapped around her tail stalk and we were thrilled to find that between our sightings of her, she had shed the gear and was no longer entangled!! These four whales were cruising at the surface together giving us absolutely beautiful views of them as they swam. After some time with these whales, we crept out of the area to see what other cetaceans were in the area. As we left, we caught a glimpse of a minke whale before some splashing in the distance caught our attention. The splashing continued as we cruised toward it, and it turned out to be Sprinkles breaching! Sprinkles’ activity continued with multiple breaches and head breaches while his companion Bolide began flipper slapping. The activity lasted for several minutes before these whales began to feed. We got excellent looks at both these whales (and some breaching and lobtailing whales in the distance) before we ran out of time. We turned our boat into the sun setting over Boston as we reflected on our incredible trip!
अगली बार तक
Eman and Indi
07-23-23
9am and 1:30pm Whale Watch Sightings
शुभ संध्या व्हेल उत्साही!
Today we boarded the Cetacea on a beautiful bright morning, eager to make our way to Stellwagen Bank in search of other cetaceans. Almost immediately upon arriving within view of the Pilgrim Monument we spotted at least 6 blows in the area and soon found ourselves in the company of several associations of humpbacks! Among these groups were some familiar flukes such as Nile, Bolide, Sprinkles, and Woodwind! We were also in the company of a new whale for me, a female whale named Lascaux! It is always surprising and exciting to meet new whales. We were also treated to a second special sighting- a 2022 calf returning for the first time on their own! This whale will continue to be known as Quote 2022 calf until it reaches full maturity and gets a name of their own! We were excited to see this little juvenile having successfully completed their first migration North without mom– welcome home! We reluctantly left the area, excited to return for our afternoon trip.
For the 1:30pm trip we made our way back to the Southwest Corner of Stellwagen Bank, though this time the whales seemed to have changed behavior and spent more time beneath the surface. That made their exhalations that much more exhilarating to witness along the glassy surface. We followed two trios of whales, a pair in the distance, and a few singular whales orbiting in between the associations. Our final count was 9 individuals including Bristle, Mend, Chairlift, Woodwind, Bolide, Sprinkles, Nile, Eruption, and Pele! We were treated to a few close looks by passing whales as well as some lovely reflections of seabirds on the water.
Overall a spectacular pair of trips out to Stellwagen Bank!
अगली बार तक!
Linnea and Reilly
सुबह 10 बजे और दोपहर 2:30 बजे व्हेल वॉच साइटिंग्स
Good evening all!
We boarded the Asteria for the 10 am whale watch and set a course for the southern end of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Upon arriving on the southwest corner, we counted about 11 whales! Much of our time was spent with Flock and Milkweed, who insisted on sticking close by. With several close approaches, and swims under the boat, we hardly had a chance to move! Cajun, her 2023, Spell, and 3.14 circled the area, trumpeting loudly enough for all to hear. This group also insisted on saying hello, approaching us slowly and diving just off our bow! Likely, the whales were taking breaks to feed on the herring we could see the shearwaters emerging with, and we enjoyed our time with our cetacean and avian friends alike. We had a beautiful ride home, cruising along smooth seas under sunny skies.
We charted the same course for our 2:30 pm journey. Somehow, it almost seemed calmer than the morning, with patches of glassy seas on the southwest corner. We started the trip with Cajun, her 2023 calf, 3.14, and Spell. Still trumpeting, the group moved through the area rather methodically, before 3.14 suddenly erupted into a massive breach! After this, they slowed (and quieted!) down; it’s always interesting to watch displays of surface activities and the different outcomes they can produce! We spent the remainder of our time with these four, and occasional appearances from Sprinkles, Bolide, and Woodwind. This trio remained focus on their subsurface feeding but offered excellent looks as they cruised on by. Another spectacular sunny Sunday asea!
ऊपर flukes!
Ashlyn and Emily
सुबह 11 बजे और दोपहर 3:30 बजे व्हेल वॉच साइटिंग्स
सुसंध्या
The 11am whale watch headed out on the Aurora towards the southern section of Stellwagen Bank and found a large cluster of blows from at least 11 humpbacks whales. We saw the solo whales of Chunk and Nile and the groups of Flock/Milkweed and Bristle/Chairlift/Mend and 3.14/Spell/Cajun/Cajun 2023 Calf. These whales were forcefully feeding and were popping up in all directions around our boat! It was almost like playing whack-a-mole, whales would spontaneously pop up on either side – keep us on our toes but very entertained. The water was so glassy and calm that when the whales swam next to our vessel – we could see the entire length of the whale under water! We got fantastic looks at Chunk when she popped up on the port side (Notice the scarring in the photo! Scarring is sometimes left on the whale’s rostrum after subsurface feeding. It indicates the side that they favor when targeting sand lance on the bottom of the ocean floor. Whales will have either scarring on the left or the right – we can tell from the photo that Chunk is a “righty”).
In the midst of whale soup – we were able to watch scientists from a variety of research organizations (including the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Ocean Alliance) attach tags on some of the humpback whales. DTAGS and CATS tags are suction cup tags that typically stay on less than 24 hours – and record data on synchronous motion acoustics and video recordings. It was so amazing watching tagging in action, and it was a great opportunity to talk about the ongoing research and conservation efforts in the area! Although our population of humpback whales is no longer endangered, they still face threats like ship strike and entanglement. The amazing work that the tagging team conducts helps us better understand the underwater behavior of these animals – better informing research and policy decisions!
Our 3:30 whale watch headed further north and spotted a new cluster of blows! In the area we were able to spot the bubble-cloud feeding humpback – Mogul – and Tripod and her 2023 calf! We have not seen Tripod yet this year, so it was awesome to see a new mom and calf pair in the middle of the summer! We then took a ride south with glassy seas and found another cluster of whales – and spent the remainder of the trip with the duo of Chunk/Nile and trio of Jabiru/Flock/Milkweed. The sea was unbelievably glassy, and we got some spectacular looks at these whales as they swam directly next to our vessel. Like the morning, we could see the entire length of the whales – and at one point the group of three popped up on our port side, showering us with whale breathe. On the way back we spotted a pod of over 50-75 Atlantic White-Sided Dolphins, what a way to end the day!
Kate and Indi
दोपहर 12 बजे और शाम 5 बजे व्हेल वॉच साइटिंग्स
शुभ संध्या व्हेल उत्साही!
The Sanctuary made its way towards Jefferies Ledge for the 12pm whale watch excited to search for cetaceans. We started our trip with 2 sneaky humpbacks on either side of our boat. They quickly joined together and began napping which is typical for this classic due which ended up being Spoon and Chromosome! This sleepy duo stayed at the surface for extended periods allowing for great looks. We saw some lobtailing in the distance which was coming from Satula! Another humpback began to Lobtail, and this turned out to be Valley! Valley was joined by Pitcher, who is actually one of her past calves, so it was really interesting to see this duo. Another whale began flipper slapping as Valley began to lobtail, and this turned out to be Spoon! We got some beautiful last looks at Spoon as she flipper slapped with the twin lighthouses behind her before making our way home to Boston.
The Sanctuary decided to change things up and head south in the afternoon. We spent most of our trip with Cajun, Cajun 23 calf, 3.14, and Spell. We also saw 2 other trios in the area including Bolide, Sprinkles, and Woodwind; and Chairlift, Mend, and Bristle. We got treated to several close approaches by these groups while we sat out of gear. We were surprised when Cajuns 23 calf breached behind us, before charging towards Cajun. Cajun followed this up with a massive breach of her own! As we were getting ready to leave, Cajuns calf breached again! We got some beautiful last looks as the sun began to set behind us, and we began our journey home.
Overall a fantastic day for whale watching!
Sydney and Lily
07-24-23
9am Whale Watch Sightings
हैप्पी शार्क वीक!
We boarded the Cetacea for the 9 a.m. whale watch, where we once again enjoyed smooth seas and sunny skies on our way to Stellwagen Bank! It was a glorious ride to the southwest corner, where we met up with some familiar flukes, anyone wager a guess on which quartet we started off with? If you guessed the Cajun CrowdTM, then you should play the lottery! Cajun’s 23 calf spent the most time with us, popping up here there and everywhere while mom and friends fed below the surface. Surprising us by joining the party were Milkweed and Flock, joined by two other individuals who surprised us with some side lunges! It appeared that 8 whales was too many for this group though, as we listened to them argue via trumpeting and eventually go their separate ways. We wrapped up with dives from 3.14 and Spell, before slowly turning west. In that time, two other groups of three decided we didn’t pay enough attention to them and made their presence known. First, Sprinkles, Bolide, and Woodwind surfaced in front of us, and just as we thought we were safe, Jabiru, Pele, and Eruption popped up just off our bow before swimming under the pulpits! We enjoyed a serene look at the trio as they glided below us, before we were able to make our break back to shore.
फ्लूक्स (और पंख!) ऊपर!
ऐशलिन
सुबह 10 बजे और दोपहर 2:30 बजे व्हेल वॉच साइटिंग्स
शुभ संध्या व्हेल उत्साही!
The Sanctuary headed to the Northwest corner for the 10am trip, and then began following the edge of Stellwagen bank south in search of cetaceans. A huge shoutout to the Sanctuary crew for their commitment to cleaning up our oceans, as we stopped 4 times today to pick up balloons, one of which being a massive cluster, making for a grand total of over 22 balloons recovered! Unfortunately, we do see marine debris on almost every trip, which poses a massive threat to marine life. Finding ecofriendly alternatives to balloons for celebrations, not participating in balloon releases, and making sure to dispose of balloons properly if they are used are great ways to help protect our oceans and the critters that live there. After our balloon pickups, we soon found an area with at least 5 blows from humpback whales! We spent our trip with Dross and Dross 23 Calf. Dross was busy blowing bubble clouds and nets, and at one point surfaced in a bubble net right off the port bow! While Dross was busy feeding throughout the trip, steadily getting farther and farther away, the calf took this opportunity to rest. Dross’s calf was busy sleeping for most of our trip, allowing for fantastic looks as at rested at the surface. As we were getting ready for our last looks, the calf awoke. This calf suddenly splashed at the surface with a tail breach and followed this up with a full body breach! The calf then quickly began charging at the surface towards Dross who had travelled a little more than a quarter mile away. It was really interesting to see this sequence of behaviors as we were getting ready to wrap up our trip. We got a final look at Dross’s calf speeding towards her before making our leave. We also got a brief sighting of a small pod of harbor porpoise as we made our way back home, excited to return in the afternoon!
The 2:30pm trip returned to the bank and found that the wind speed and swells had increased since our morning trip. We saw several blows from humpback whales and estimated 8-11 whales in the area! We started with a very brief sighting of 1-3 Harbor Porpoise, a minke whale, and Scylla who quickly went on a dive. We then got a quick look at Dross and Dross 23 Calf who were quickly travelling to the Northwest. We were waiting for another mom and calf pair who we had seen to Surface, when Mogul appeared, with a large bubble cloud surfacing just behind him which served as evidence that he was busy feeding. We got a couple more looks at Mogul as he fed before we spent some time with the second mom and calf pair in the area. This turned out to be Tripod and Tripod 23 Calf! Tripod was busy bubble cloud feeding with her calf staying close by. Suddenly the calf separated from mom and began charging at the surface. The calf then erupted into a breach! We weren’t sure if this would continue, but the calf then breached 3 more times in a row! The young whale took a few breaths before chin breaching 3 times and then erupting in a final breach! The calf charged ahead and continued to tail breach, lobtail, and flipper slap. In the distance, we saw another duo of humpbacks that was also busy splashing away. It’s always interesting to see this almost call and response of surface-active behaviors, and definitely had everyone on board wondering if these whales might be communicating, and if they were, what they were saying! Tripod’s calf stopped the behaviors almost as suddenly as they had started and began charging towards Tripod. We got some final looks at Mogul who had travelled closer to us as he was feeding, before making our way back towards Boston.
कुल मिलाकर, व्हेल देखने के लिए एक अद्भुत दिन!
Sydney and Reilly
सुबह 11 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
नमस्कार
Aboard the Asteria, the 11am whale watch headed to the Northwest corner. It took a few minutes to spot the whales, but before we knew it, we were surrounded on all sides! We spent most of our time with Dross and her 2023 calf. Dross was busy blowing bubble clouds every few minutes while the calf was taking an afternoon nap. We got incredible views of the calf as it slept on the surface! Halfway through our trip, the calf surprised us with two quick breaches! Along with this wonderful pair, we also had some other humpback whales in our vicinity. Around us, we had Scylla, Mogul, and Dyad blowing bubbles clouds. We also caught a glimpse of another mother-calf pair – Tripod and her 2023 calf! After some incredible views of these whales, we slowly turned toward Boston and made our way home.
अगली बार तक
Eman and Antonia
दोपहर 12 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
सभी को नमस्कार,
Today aboard the Aurora, the 12pm whale watch made its way out towards the northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank in search of whales and other marine life. We started on a pair of humpback whales who turned out to be Dashdot and Othello, who were both logging at the surface. The sleeping whales allowed us to get some great looks at them! The pair awoke from their slumber, and they gave us a pair of beautiful fluking dives. We then ventured on to watch Tripod and her 2023 calf. Tripod was busy blowing bubble clouds, and her calf was right by her side. They spent a lot of time at the surface, so we were able to get some fantastic looks at this adorable mom and calf pair! We then ventured on to Dross and her 2023 calf. Dross was busy blowing bubbles and feeding, while her calf was being very lazy doing it’s own thing. Dross gave us some incredible close approaches and lunges! After one more beautiful fluking dive from mom, and some cool looks at a sleepy baby, we made our way back to Boston. It was a really incredible day out on Stellwagen Bank!
अगली बार तक
Colin and Indi
07-25-23
9am Whale Watch Sightings
गुड आफ्टरनून व्हेल के शौकीन!
We boarded the Cetacea bright and early, excited to head out in search of whales. We began our journey heading to the South but instead decided to head closer to the middle of Stellwagen bank where we found 20-25 humpback whales! While we slowly approached, we realized there were also 50-75 Atlantic White Sided Dolphins spread around the area and feeding amongst the larger baleen whales! We watched as these dolphins zoomed between the 5 groups of humpbacks charging at the surface on all sides of the vessel. We started out sightings with a familiar group of whales that included Cajun, Cajun 23 calf, 3.14, and Spell. The calf was following close behind the adults as they charged away. We then got to see Chairlift and Mend in the distance as they quickly dove and began travelling South. Nile, Bolide, and Flock then surprised us by surfacing from underneath our vessel while we were out of gear, and followed Chairlift and Mend, as we later saw them headed this way much further from us later in the trip. It was at this point that the dolphins vanished as quickly as they had appeared, and we spent most of the rest of our trip with 2 groups of humpbacks. Pele, Jabiru and Eruption approached us closely on our port sided while we floated allowing them to maneuver around us. They slowly travelled along the left side of our vessel, allowing us to see their entire bodies! These whales dove when all of the sudden Woodwind, Chunk, Sprinkles, and Milkweed surfaced at our stern heading for us! We sat out of gear, while they travelled towards our port side. Sprinkles stayed near the surface at our stern, just floating, while the rest of the trio prepared to dive. It was so cool to see him do this, and definitely had us questioning what he may have been up to! He then quickly caught up with his group. We thought that this was just a spectacular way to end our trip, so once we knew the whales were a safe distance, we started to slowly make our way towards Boston, enjoying bonus looks at the several other groups of humpbacks in the distance.
कुल मिलाकर, व्हेल देखने के लिए एक अद्भुत दिन!
सिडनी
सुबह 10 बजे और दोपहर 2:30 बजे व्हेल वॉच साइटिंग्स
सुसंध्या!
The 10am whale watch headed out on the Sanctuary towards the middle of the bank and spotted a cluster of blows from around 5 humpbacks! We spent our first portion of the trip with the bubble-cloud feeding Mogul. This whale was blowing lots of frothy bubbles underwater and surfacing powerfully through the cloud! We then spotted the consistent Dross and her 2023 calf. Dross was busy bubble cloud feeding a little farther away, while her calf traveled sporadically. We spent the remainder of the trip watching this little whale travel and got awesome looks at this calf – as it spent most of the time at the surface! Throughout our trip we picked up 4 clusters of balloons, which present a very real threat to the marine life of the Sanctuary. As we’ve mentioned throughout the season – it’s important to consider eco-friendly alternative to balloons for celebrations, as often balloons that are released find their way into the middle of the ocean.
Our 2:30 whale watch headed a little further south where we spotted around 20 humpbacks in at least five different associations! We started off our trip with the trio of Bolide/Flock/Nile and the group of Woodwind/Chunk/Milkweed/Sprinkles. These whales were busy feeding and we got fantastic looks as both groups popped up near our vessel! We were able to catch a few “rainblows” (when the blow of a humpback catches the sun just right and looks like a rainbow). We spent the remainder of our trip with the consistent trio of Mend/Bristle/Chairlift. This group of three was busily traveling through the area, but during one surfacing – the three seemed to bump in together. These whales did not seem pleased with each other – one individual let out a forceful trumpet and another flicked its tail – before Mend launched into a full breach right off our starboard!!! It was so cool to see such a commotion of communication so close to our vessel. With very dark and looming storm clouds, we headed back to Boston!
Kate and Antonia
सुबह 11 बजे व्हेल वॉच दृश्य
Good afternoon all!
Another sunny day aboard the Asteria for the 11 a.m. whale watch brought more whales in middle of Stellwagen Bank! Our day started with blows surrounding our vessel, and we began with Pele, Eruption, and Jabiru, who were busy feeding, evident by their active participation in the whale pump! Whale poop is super beneficial to the nutrient cycle in the ocean, and Jabiru held her title of farmer of the sea with pride today. We also saw Bolide, Nile, and Flock, who were circling the area and blowing bubble clouds. Tripod and her 2023 calf breezed by with a quick hello, but in true fashion, much of our time was spent with The Cajun CrowdTM, Cajun, her 2023 calf, Spell, and 3.14! This group was the focus of tagging efforts by Sanctuary staff and researchers, with both 3.14 and Spell tagged respectively! It was an interesting process to watch, and as per usual the quartet granted us to several close approaches, wowing us with this size and power. Bristle, Chairlift, and Mend darted around the area, Bristle even engaging in some snaking behavior! A total of 15 whales were identified today, with about five more in the surrounding area! We made it back to Boston just before the storms, satisfied with another day at sea.
ऊपर flukes!
Ashlyn and Reilly
Boston Whale Watching: Naturalist Notes – 07/19/23 to 07/25/23